


The Youth, part II

by suisfine



Series: The Youth [2]
Category: Assassin's Creed, modern assassins - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassin's Creed Fusion, Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed References, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 23:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5352929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suisfine/pseuds/suisfine





	The Youth, part II

London, England, December 2010. 

Shaun was in way over his head. He had been warned, he had brushed off all the omens and there he was, In the back of a cold van, hands bound with plastic rope. Bloody bastards. His head throbbed and he had an acute ache in his right shoulder. They had injected him with something to knock him out probably. It really was freezing, caught him right through his coat.   
He didn't even need to ponder who was driving. He had been meddling in dangerous business, it was sure to catch uo with him. But he didn't expect it quite like this. He stared at the ceiling, the only light he had snuck in though the seams of the door. He had been walking home after an evening class. It was a cheery night, Christmas lights up all over the city and shiny plastic trees glimmering in shop windows. That was all though. No, someone grabbed him. Or did they? was he making up that ghost of a memory? He sighed. He didn't know if he was going to die. Probably. They had no reason to let him walk free. He remembered being 15, seeing a man known as Decembr1st wind up dead in Devon. Or maybe they wanted to intimidate him, he thought hopefully. Get him in their cause. His heart sunk. His poor mum and dad, friends, Terry. No one would know what happened. His roommates would say awkward condolences to his family as they boxed up his things and took them from the flat. Another junior professor would be teaching the night class, students whispering about their disappeared instructor. David must be gone too, Shaun thought. His hands were sweating, he tried to slip out of the rope. He winced, feeling welts forming on his wrists. It must of taken twenty minutes, but he freed himself from the binding.   
He backed up against the wall. It sounded brittle, a thin sheet of metal. Still, not a good chance of escape. Quietly, he crawled to the back door of the van. He could hear road noise on the other side, freedom. Trunk release, there had to be one somewhere. He groped around in the low light. Nothing. he cursed under his breath. The floor was padded with thick rubber, he felt his way to where it met the wall. It tugged up like a rug. Good, good he thought he felt around, silently praying to everyone and no one he would find the cable. He rolled up the other side of the floor and swept his hand across it. There it was. He was about to yank it with all his might when he remembered that the van was speeding down the highway. He needed to wait. 

The van stopped. "What the hell?" a muffled voice said from the front.   
"We're out of petrol" another said.   
"But we just filled it up?"  
"Computers don't lie." He heard a door open, and slam shut. This was his chance. His heart sped as he pulled at the cable. It was stronger than he expected. With the fourth yank, it snapped. He heard the door unlock. With weak legs and an out of control pulse, Shaun threw the doors open and ran. '  
He heard yells but they hardly registered. He didn't care. He had never been so happy to feel the cold winter air, and he had never ran so fast in his life. He was in some nondescript suburb, the sky gone dark. He shivered. Free. He was free. 

II.  
Trying to look unassuming, Shaun ducked into a pharmacy. The warm air and bright lights were inviting, he let out a sigh. Never thought he would be so happy to see a chain store. His abductors had taken his wallet, but he had a few pound notes in his pocket. He bought a bottle of water and managed to convince a cashier to lend him her mobile. He stared at its screen. Who was he to call? most of all, how would he explain what was happening? He was a little south of Ipswich, that much he knew. He dialed Terry's number.   
"What is it?" Terry growled. Shaun had forgotten how late it was.   
"Hello to you too Terry." Shaun rolled his eyes.  
"Shaun? What the hell?"  
"Well its quite a tale but we should discuss it over a pint sometime. I'm somewhere right around Ipswich and I need a ride home."  
"What? What bollocks have you gotten yourself into? Its a two hour drive at least. Call a taxi"  
"Christ Terry I really need need your help now. I've got no wallet and a massive headache."  
"Oi and you say I drink to much." Shaun sighed and gave Terry the address of the pharmacy.   
The cashier was eyeing Shaun as he thanked her and returned the mobile. He waited for two and a half hours in a narrow back alley, knowing Abstergo would be looking for him. Christ he needed to get out of there. Shite. He wondered if they were listening to the phone call, if they knew it was him. He felt so helpless waiting and leaning against a cold wall. Finally, Terry's white volvo pulled up across the street. Shaun ran to it and jumped in the passanger seat, shutting the door.   
"Whats your problem?" Terry had bags under his eyes and his short hair stuck out in every direction.   
"Just drive." Shaun shook his head. Terry started the engine and pulled out of the spot.   
"Gonna at least tell me what the hell is going on?"  
"Believe me, the less you know the better. I don't want you to be liable. Some people took me for a little car trip and I had to bail." Shaun tried to sound light.   
"Some mates you have." Terry snorted. "Or is it some of your conspiracy stuff?"   
"Both I guess." Shaun lay his head against the window. Terry muttered something but didn't ask further. He wasn't one to pry. Shaun watched the street lights whizz by like tiny moons. He was tired, but too scared to sleep, too wound up. He kept glancing into the mirror, every car behind him subject to suspicion. Were they tailing him?   
Nearly three hours later, they were in front of Shaun's flat. "How much will fare be?" Shaun said sarcastically. Terry shook his head. "Don't tell mum about this."   
"Agreed." Terry said.   
"Thanks by the way."  
"Anything for baby brother." Terry muttered. 

There was a woman on the couch. She sat slumped with a cup of tea in her lap. The apartment was dark except for the lamp next to her.   
"May I help you?" Shaun said, standing in the door.   
"Shaun Hastings?" she asked, with a prominent American accent.   
"Shit." He sighed. The saga continues.   
"Your roommates let me in." he looked at the clock, it was 2:AM. "I'm here to help you," she got up. "We need to leave. Now."  
"Well you just made yourself right at home. Yeah, was just going to do that, was going to get some cash and run..."  
"Don't worry about it." She shook her head. "I've got you covered."   
"Oh well, take me out to dinner first." The woman pulled on a black parka and headed to the door. Shaun raced after her, down the hall. "How do I know your not from abstergo?" he said, voice echoing in the stairwell.   
"If I was you would not be conscious now. Emails, remember."  
"Emails? oh, so that was you."   
A few blocks away there was a car parked. A man sat perfectly still in the driver's seat. The doors clicked open. "You just want me to get in this car with two strangers thats parked in an alley at 2AM."  
"Your already pretty fucked," the woman shrugged. "I don't have to save your ass if you don't want to." Shaun got in the back seat.   
There was a large bearded man driving, who said nothing. Shaun shivered, but the woman looked calm, as if this situation happened every day. She had choppy black hair that stuck in every direction, and the street lights reflected off of her narrow blue eyes. She was young, about the same age as him.   
"So, uh, what is your name?" Shaun asked.  
"Rebecca. Awesome to meet you." she gave a genuine smile. "This is Eric." she motioned to the driver.   
he said a quiet hello in a thick Scottish accent. Just like Decembr1st. Where there is trouble there are Scots, Shaun sighed. 

III.  
Rebecca was an Assassin. Shaun had heard of them, but he didn't didn't picture them like this. He wrapped his arms tight around himself in his sleeping bag, head buried in a camping pillow. She had first watch that night, sitting under one of the lamps reading a magazine and sipping instant green tea. Eric was fast asleep, his snores audible from across the room. For the first time in the past 24 hours, Shaun felt safe. 

IV.  
He couldn't go home, and he couldn't go to work. The Templars had eyes out for him. Every move, every email, even phone calls were iffy. He woke up chilled to the bone and washed his face in the grimy lavatory. Purple bags were under his bloodshot eyes, his lips puffy and skin chapped. Breakfast was croissants and coffee. Rebecca warmed up to him as if they were long-time friends. A peculiar American thing perhaps. She rambled on about her life with the assassins as if it were absolutely normal for a young, tech-savvy woman to be fighting for a secret order. She was hard to dislike.


End file.
